Caught in the Sun: Extra Defenders
by TachyonOne
Summary: Miyuki and Natsumi are working security at the World Cup, when it's needed the most. Part of a special fanfic series.


For more information about this fanfic series, go to http://www.infinitedeferral.com/ or for other fanfics in this series, go to my profile at http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=79367 .  
  
Caught in the Sun  
  
A 2002 World Cup / Anime Fanfic Series  
  
By Roehl Sybing (indef@infinitedeferral.com)  
  
Episode Seven: Extra Defenders  
  
Group F: Sweden v Nigeria @ Kobe  
  
A You're Under Arrest! Fanfic  
  
"It's not England-Argentina that's being played tonight, but in the other second match also taking place in the so-called Group of Death, the clash between Sweden and Nigeria is just as significant. Fans all across England and those that have traveled to Japan want so much for their team to advance into the round of sixteen. With only one point going into the second wave of group matches at this World Cup, England must rely on the graces of Nigeria to stick it to Sweden in order to open up the table. But the Swedes, after drawing with England one-one earlier this week, have everything to prove against an unlucky Nigerian side that stayed with Argentina all the way to full time, despite losing one-nil to the South Americans."  
  
"As is the case later tonight in Sapporo, Kobe officials have called virtually every metropolitan police officer into active duty to work security in and around the match between Sweden and Nigeria. Nigerian fans - and they have come to Wing Stadium in droves this afternoon - have put on quite a display of support for their national team, in and out of the stadium, and that has made Japanese officials in this otherwise quiet city very tense. To top it off, the logistical nightmares arising from ticketing problems in both Japan and Korea have caused some fans to erupt in anger. Already, here in Kobe, two Swedes have been arrested for public disturbance, and officials do not expect that to be the last incident of the day. As a result, Kobe is getting broad assistance from authorities in Tokyo, who have dispatched their own forces for the match to keep Wing Stadium calm and incident-free."  
  
---  
  
"All right, move it along! Get out your tickets!" Natsumi said while navigating against the flow of pedestrian traffic pouring into the stadium. Certainly a rowdy bunch that she was dealing with. And the crowds were simply endless! "C'mon, form a line already! Make sure your tickets are out!"  
  
Among all the hectic excitement, though, Natsumi's eye caught on to something rather disturbing in the distance. She had to respond, and quick! So, as she bulldozed through the endless droves of people, causing many a fan to bend to her strength and topple over themselves, Natsumi rushed to the aid of one most in need.  
  
"Waaaah!" a little girl cried.  
  
"Hey!" Natsumi replied, "What's the matter?"  
  
The girl, all alone, cried some more before she could speak. "My ball!" she shouted, pointing to another, "He stole my ball!"  
  
Natsumi's jaw dropped, "What?" Now she was angry. She looked over to the man that the child identified, a disgraceful fan chatting among his friends and waving the miniature soccer ball about in his hands. Without a second thought, she marched over to him and grabbed him by the shoulder to have a good look at him.  
  
"What's up, sweetheart?" he playfully said to her, not that her blood was already up.  
  
"Cute, real cute," Natsumi replied, then taking him by the neck and lifting him up with one hand. "Don't kick now, you'll only make me more angry! Now give me the ball!"  
  
"I was--gonna give it back!" he said, struggling, "I was just--"  
  
"Nah-ah! Hand it over, and I mean now!"  
  
The toy dropped to the floor, and so did the pitiful man once Natsumi reached for the ball. After picking it up, she happily gave it back to the child, her tears all gone.  
  
"Thank you, officer-lady!" she said, then going about her way. Natsumi watched her take off to rejoin her parents. A smile firmly planted itself on her face. It was the little things about the job.  
  
---  
  
Natsumi wandered about, trying to find her partner. She was at the final security area, screening out the lines of people making their way to their seats.  
  
"Miyuki!" she called out.  
  
The policewoman looked up, and waved from the across the crowds. "Keeping busy?" Miyuki asked.  
  
"Absolutely, yeah," Natsumi replied, "Hey, how about you and me grab some lunch?"  
  
"Natsumi!" her partner said, snapping, "We've got a lot things to do, we don't have time for lunch!"  
  
"Yeah, I know, I'm just kidding!" she said, reaching over to help out Miyuki, "Still, you'd think they'd throw us a bone for working the extra hours, I was on my time off!"  
  
"What did you have in mind?"  
  
"Oh, I dunno...say, maybe they'll let us in to watch the game!"  
  
"Hmm," Miyuki said, "I hadn't thought about it too much, but I think that would be fun."  
  
"You think? Everyone's enjoying themselves sitting in line, imagine what it's going to be like during the game!"  
  
Natsumi's light-hearted remark was drowned out, however, once her partner was on listening in on the police radio. There had been some chatter over the air for quite some time.  
  
She joined Miyuki, listening in as well. "All officers," the radio said, "Be on the lookout for a man, six-foot-three, wearing jeans and a leather jacket. He is carrying around a large cardboard package stolen from the main stadium office. He is to be taken into custody immediately!"  
  
"A guy in a leather jacket?" Natsumi scoffed, "That could be anyone!"  
  
"Or," Miyuki replied, pointing out, "It could be that guy."  
  
The two of them looked in the distance, as a man that fit the rather vague description on the radio, identified by the package that was secured underneath his arm, walked about with his back turned to the two policewomen. The suspect was made more noticeable when he walked through the crowds, the only man besides the uniformed officers to be exiting the stadium right before kickoff.  
  
"Is he dangerous?" Natsumi said.  
  
"I don't know, but we have to sneak up on him, or else he'll make a run for it."  
  
"Yeah, let's--"  
  
Suddenly, a third police officer spoiled their hopes.  
  
"Hey!" he said, pointing the suspect out, "You there!"  
  
Natsumi and Miyuki groaned as the thief took flight, amazingly exiting the stadium in quick fashion despite the crowds.  
  
"I knew it's never this easy!" Natsumi cried, right before darting off to chase after him. Miyuki, on the other hand, gathered herself quite methodically until she turned in the opposite direction, towards the stadium parking.  
  
---  
  
Fortunately for Natsumi, as she watched the thief commandeer a car from traffic, a set of police motorcycles lined the entrance to the stadium.  
  
"Sorry!" she cried to the nearby officers, "Police business!"  
  
Turning the key in the ignition and speeding off, Natsumi turned excited as she caught some real action in chasing down the hijacked car. Of course, she thought, her partner would miss out on all the fun in the chase, with their police car tucked away in the lots. But she wanted to make the arrest so desperately. As always, it was the little things that were fun.  
  
The pursued - along with his pursuer - turned the sharp corner into the streets of Kobe, a rather empty part of town as most people were either at the stadium or indoors to watch the game. A chase made more difficult, however; had the narrow streets been more crowded, Natsumi would've easily cornered the car with her motorcycle. And Miyuki would not have been able to make up the distance on the clear, empty roads.  
  
"What?" Natsumi said as Miyuki's patrol car showed up on her rear-view mirror, "How'd she get here so fast?"  
  
As Miyuki caught up to her partner on well-timed nitro boosters stowed away in her car, it hardly made much of a difference; the thief was making quite a valiant escape in what both policewomen saw to be a rather sleek sports car that turned the next corner just before a group of children crossing the street blocked their path.  
  
Miyuki was just as eager to make the arrest herself; as a result, she backed up and turned right around, heading for a side street to try and cut the thief off in his tracks. The veteran highway patrolwoman was quite unfamiliar with the streets of Kobe, and had to make a guess at what city streets the suspect would be traveling. One thing was for certain, though: if he was going in the same direction she was, then he was making a break for the onramp onto the highway.  
  
Natsumi immediately thought her partner out of the running. She poured on the speed on her rather swift motorcycle as desperately attempted to make up ground on the getaway car. At last, it was in plain sight, but heading for the highway where anything could happen, including a rather complicated but absolute escape. Natsumi couldn't let that happen, and leaned as forward as possible to take the chase to the suspect. Much to her delight, though, she veered to the left as Miyuki appeared from a side street in the distance, having navigated the more narrow parts of town to gain a shortcut's length on the thief.  
  
By then, it was merely a race to see which of the two policewomen would get to him first. As they paralleled each other, Miyuki and Natsumi exchanged competitive glances for one last dash to their goal.  
  
The hijacked vehicle did not relent to the persistence of either the motorcyclist or the patrol car's driver. But the thief, after giving quite the attempt for a clean escape, turned the wheel and made a hard stop, not too far away from the highway entrance, a path blocked yet another car in the road. The thief, stopped dead in his tracks, exited the vehicle rather indignantly, as Miyuki got out of her patrol car to see the suspect's foil.  
  
"You're under arrest!" Yoriko said, standing in front of her own patrol car, quite confident of herself.  
  
"Yoriko?" Natsumi cried, getting off her motorcycle, "Where'd you come from?"  
  
"I was on my way to the stadium," she replied, taking out her handcuffs to make the arrest, "I heard all the fuss on the police radio and so, here I am!"  
  
"But, but...you've never!"  
  
"Yeah, I know! This is exciting for me!"  
  
"I'll take that," Miyuki said, grabbing the package from the foiled thief, as an artifact dropped from his leather jacket.  
  
"Hey, what's this?" Natsumi said, picking up the item off the floor. It was a set of tickets to the game! "Well, well," she added, "Looks like you won't be needing these!"  
  
Miyuki huffed as Yoriko stuffed the suspect in the car. She leaned on the hood of her vehicle, saying, "Phew! That was quite some chase, wasn't it!"  
  
"Yeah," Natsumi replied, "And we didn't even get to arrest the guy!"  
  
They both had a good laugh, and the two of them looked at each other as Yoriko said she would head back to the stadium. "I guess that's where we should be headed, too," Miyuki said.  
  
"Uh-huh," her partner said, looking down at the recovered tickets in her hand, "Say, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
  
---  
  
"Are you sure it's OK?" Miyuki asked.  
  
"Sure!" Natsumi said, "They were just too happy to get their package back, they convinced the others to let us sign out for the day!"  
  
"That's wonderful," she said, grabbing some concessions once she was sure, "Alright, then, let's go!"  
  
Natsumi nodded as the two of them, accompanied by Yoriko, made for their seats, courtesy of the thief that gave them all the action they needed for the day. It was a really good view of the field as the players began play again after halftime.  
  
"If you are just joining us, I guarantee you that you are in for a thrilling forty-five minutes as Sweden and Nigeria play their hearts out in this second half. They put on quite a show in the early goings, and we are in the midst of a brilliant shoot-out between both sides. Both managers are psyched, the crowd is psyched, those of us in the booth are psyched, all because this match is turning out to be one of the more interesting clashes in the World Cup so far. This kind of play, this kind of heart- stopping action that just gets your blood going and your adrenaline rushing, is the thing that everyone lives for. This is what this tournament is all about!"  
  
END.  
  
Next match:  
  
Episode Eight: Italy v Croatia @ Ibaraki  
  
A Night Walker Fanfic 


End file.
